Pride and Prejudice: TBT Introduction

Personal Context: In an effort to keep my reading balanced, I am endeavoring to immerse myself in classical literature. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous works of literature in the world and has fascinated readers for time immemorial. I added this title personally, because (1) I’ve never read it, and (2) it is the favorite book of so many of my most trusted bookish friends (and so obviously I trust their judgment).

Initial Thoughts: So reading the synopsis and its Wikipedia page, I am severely interested, and also a little nervous. I haven’t read any classical literature, and I am hoping that I will still be able to decipher the often archaic style of writing.

First Line:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

My Thoughts:

So I hold a firm belief that the first line of any story holds the most weight. It sets the tone for the whole affair, and I like to collect first-lines. This one, unsurprisingly, is no different. From this line, I infer that the main impetus of the story is marriage. I also infer that money and social status are going to be referenced often. The syntax of the line is pretty exquisite if I do say so myself. It embodies all of the points of classical writing, from syntax, diction, and tone. The syntax is still commonly seen among the British, and would, if affected in modern America, be designated pretentious. As a pretentious person at heart, if the rest of the story sounds like this, I will feel right-at-home.

What do you think of my introduction? Any comments or feelings about Pride and Prejudice? Let me know in the comments below.

Stay tuned for my next TBT post where I discuss what I’ve read so far, and my first impressions of the story.
Happy Reading!